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About USNI News Editor

Sam LaGrone is the USNI Online Editor at the U.S. Naval Institute.
He was formerly the U.S. Maritime Correspondent for the Washington D.C. bureau of Jane’s Defence Weekly and Jane’s Navy International. In his role he covered legislation, acquisition and operations for the Sea Services and spent time underway with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the Canadian Navy.
Sam is a 2003 graduate of Virginia Military Institute.

Mr. Shaw:
Would the civilian have been killed by the Master-at-Arms on the quarterdeck? Am ex-Army and my Navy friends years ago on Oahu told me that these were the people who kept order aboard ship. Just wondering.

William E. Shaw

The civilian was killed by a ships company member of the armed roving watch. (Duty section) Prob’ly not a Master-at-Arms (by rate). The watch’s name/rate is unknown and prob’ly will remain so. The MA2 that was killed appears to have been assigned to Base Security. My experience and opinion of MAA’s before they became a rate of their own is less than complimentary. The actual people who keep order aboard ship are the Chiefs and senior Petty Officers. I can’t figure out the motive for any of this… but I have a suspicion it may have involved a woman.

army_aircrew

Actually I do, I was in the Navy for 4 years before I joined the Army so go talk down to someone else.

William E. Shaw

I expected much better reporting on this incident from USNI. The MA (Chief of the Guard?) was Mark Mayo (24). His rate was not mentioned, but I’d suspect he was at least an MA2. How (or why) this truck driver got the weapon from the POOW is bizarre. There must have been some commotion prior for Station Security to respond to the quarterdeck of MAHAN. I’m thinking the roving watchstander had his/her act together and didn’t hesitate. This situation is unthinkable… well… was unthinkable. I’m wondering if the POOW was a female.